Fire resistant material and formulation thereof

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a fire resistant material and a formulation thereof. The formulation comprises a liquid suspension of a modified inorganic particle and an organic component. The modified inorganic particle comprises an inorganic particle with hydroxyl groups and a surface modifier coupled to the inorganic particle via a urethane linkage, wherein the surface modifier has an ethylenically unsaturated end group. The organic component comprises a monomer, oligomer, prepolymer, polymer, or combinations thereof, capable of reacting with the ethylenically unsaturated end group.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/954,542, filed Dec. 12, 2007, and entitled “Fire ResistantMaterial and Formulation Thereof”, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 11/642,627, filed on Dec. 21, 2006, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/410,913, filed on Apr.26, 2006, which claims priority to Taiwan Patent application no.94146503, filed on Dec. 26, 2005. Application Ser. No. 11/954,542 alsoclaims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 96146065, filed on Dec.4, 2007. The foregoing priority applications are incorporated hereby intheir entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention(s)

The invention(s) relates to fire resistant materials and formulationsthereof, and in particular to organic/inorganic composites suitable foruse as fire resistant materials.

2. Description of the Related Art

Plastic and its composites are widely used in various fields such assports equipment, indoor decoration materials, building materials,industrial and civil engineering projects, electronic products,automobiles, and so on. However, because plastics are flammablematerial, fire caused by plastic materials result in enormous personnelcasualty and financial losses every year. It is therefore an importantresearch topic to develop an environmentally-friendly fire resistantpolymer material or composite that effectively reduces personnelcasualty and financial loses due to plastic material fires, while alsonot causing pollution to the ecology.

Due to growing environmental concerns, there is a clear trend and needto develop halogen-free flame retardant systems. Examples ofhalogen-free flame retardants include magnesium hydroxide, and aluminumhydroxide. The flame retardant effects of aluminum hydroxide andmagnesium hydroxide are based on endothermic decomposition into metaloxide and water, respectively. The plastic is protected from rapidthermal decomposition and the formation of flammable and combustiblebreakdown products are inhibited. The water vapor that is formeddisplaces oxygen and functions as protective gas. A heat resistantcovering layer including carbonized products and metal oxide is formedon the surface of the plastic, thereof inhibiting combustion, which alsoreduces smoke density. Metal hydroxide is the most popular halogen-freeflame retardant and can be used independently or in combination withother flame retardants to provide fire resistant thermosetting orthermoplastic composites.

Metal hydroxide, for example, aluminum trihydroxide (ATH), includes many—OH groups and usually has moisture adhered to its surface, andtherefore has a very high polarity. Therefore, when metal hydroxide isblended with polymer resin, which generally has a low polarity,agglomeration occurs due to poor interfacial compatibility. In addition,because the polymer does not react with metal hydroxide to form awell-structured composite by the formation of chemical bonds, theresulting product easily melts, ignites, or produces flame drippingsunder exposure to flames. Moreover, the incorporation of metal hydroxidegreatly increases the brittleness of the material, thus limitingapplication fields.

Accordingly, there exists a need for an organic/inorganic compositewherein the inorganic particle has improved polymer compatibilities toprovide better flame retardancy and reduced brittleness.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure include fire resistant materials,formulations for providing a fire resistant material, and the like.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide for aformulation for providing a fire resistant material, comprising a liquidsuspension comprising a modified inorganic particle and an organiccomponent. The modified inorganic particle comprises an inorganicparticle with hydroxyl groups, and a surface modifier coupled to theinorganic particle via a urethane linkage, wherein the surface modifierhas an ethylenically unsaturated end group. The organic component iscapable of reacting with the ethylenically unsaturated end group, wherethe organic component is selected from a monomer, an oligomer, aprepolymer, a polymer, or combinations thereof.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide for afire resistant material prepared by curing the formulations describedherein.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure can be more fully understood byreading the subsequent detailed description and examples with referencesmade to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the surface modification of inorganicparticles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the backside temperature of test specimensas a function of heating time, wherein the fire resistant materials ofExample 12 and Comparative Examples 1-2 are compared.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will employ, unless otherwiseindicated, techniques of synthetic organic chemistry, inorganicchemistry, material science, and the like, that are within the skill ofthe art. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature.

The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinaryskill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how toperform the methods and use the compositions disclosed and claimedherein. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect tonumbers (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.) but some errors anddeviations should be accounted for. Unless indicated otherwise, partsare parts by weight, temperature is in ° C., and pressure is at or nearatmospheric. Standard temperature and pressure are defined as 20° C. and1 atmosphere.

Before the embodiments of the present disclosure are described indetail, it is to be understood that, unless otherwise indicated, thepresent disclosure is not limited to particular materials, reagents,reaction materials, manufacturing and test processes, or the like, assuch can vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology usedherein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only, and isnot intended to be limiting. It is also possible in the presentdisclosure that steps can be executed in different sequence where thisis logically possible.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referentsunless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example,reference to “a support” includes a plurality of supports. In thisspecification and in the claims that follow, reference will be made to anumber of terms that shall be defined to have the following meaningsunless a contrary intention is apparent.

Discussion

The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carryingout the embodiments of the present disclosure. This description is madefor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of embodiments ofthe present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense. Thescope of embodiments of the present disclosure is best determined byreference to the appended claims.

Embodiments of the fire resistant formulation of the present disclosureinclude a liquid suspension of inorganic particles. The liquidsuspension at least contains a modified inorganic particle and aninorganic component capable of reacting with the modified inorganicparticle. The preparation of the modified inorganic particle will bedescribed in reference with FIG. 1.

The modified inorganic particle used herein is an inorganic particlewith ethylenically unsaturated groups. Referring to FIG. 1, in anembodiment a surface modifier 200 with an isocyanate group at one endand an ethylenically unsaturated group at the other end is employed forthe modification of inorganic particle 100. The surface modifier 200 canbe a monomer, an oligomer, or a prepolymer. The surface modifier 200 iscoupled to the inorganic particle 10 via a urethane linkage (—NH(CO)O—)by the reaction between the hydroxyl groups of the inorganic particle100 and the isocyanate groups (—N═C═O) of the surface modifier 200. Asshown in the figure, the modified inorganic particle 300 containsethylenically unsaturated groups, which allows further reaction with thefunctionality of other reactive monomers, oligomers, prepolymers, orpolymers. Thus, the modified inorganic particle 300 can be welldispersed in an organic (polymer) matrix to provide a well-structured,fire resistant composite 400 by the formation of chemical bonds.

For the purposes of the invention, the term “polymer” refers tocompounds having number average molecular weights in the range from 1500to over 1,00,000 Daltons, while “oligomer” refers to compounds havingnumber average molecular weights in the range of from 200 to 1499Daltons. The term “prepolymer” refers to materials which polymerize insitu to form a polymer and may encompass monomers, oligmers, short chainpseudo-stable polymeric chains which can be normally incorporated into apolymerizing polymer.

The inorganic particles 100 used herein are preferably metal hydroxide,such as, but not limited to, aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)₃) or magnesiumhydroxide (Mg(OH)₂), but inorganic particles having hydroxyl groups onthe surface are suitable for use, for example, oxides such as, but notlimited to, SiO₂, TiO₂, or ZnO. The hydroxyl groups may be originallypresent in the particles or present after surface modification. Theinorganic particles may be micro-sized particles with diameters of about1-50 μm or nano-sized particles with diameters of about 10-500 nm.

Before proceeding with surface modification, it is preferable to dry theinorganic particles in an oven at about 100-130° C. to remove moistureadhered to the particles. The moisture may react with the isocyanategroups of the surface modifier, undesirably reducing the grafting degreeof the surface modifier.

The surface modifier 200 used herein is, for example, anisocyanate-bearing acrylate monomer or oligomer, which may be aliphaticor aromatic. The amount of the surface modifier is typically about 2-10parts by weight, preferably about 3-6 parts by weight, based on 100parts by weight of the inorganic particle.

The term “aliphatic” includes unsaturated and saturated aliphatic groupsincluding straight-chain alkyl groups, branched-chain alkyl groups,cycloalkyl (alicyclic) groups, alkyl substituted cycloalkyl groups, andcycloalkyl substituted alkyl groups. The term “alkyl” can refer tostraight or branched chain hydrocarbon groups, such as methyl, ethyl,n-propyl, i-propyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, t-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl,octyl, and the like. The term “cycloalkyl” can have from about 3 toabout 10 carbon atoms in their ring structure, and alternatively about5, 6 or 7 carbons in the ring structure. The term “alkyl” is alsodefined to include halosubstituted (e.g., Cl, Br, F, and I) alkyls andheteroatom substituted alkyls.

The substituted groups for aliphatic groups can include, but are notlimited to, a hydroxyl, a halogen (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, andiodine), a carbonyl (such as a carboxyl, an alkoxycarbonyl, a formyl, oran acyl), a thiocarbonyl (such as a thioester, a thioacetate, or athioformate), an alkoxyl, a phosphoryl, a phosphonate, a phosphinate, anamino, an amido, an amidine, an imine, a cyano, a nitro, an azido, asulfhydryl, an alkylthio, a sulfate, a sulfonate, a sulfamoyl, asulfonamido, a sulfonyl, a heterocyclic, an aralkyl, or an aromatic orheteroaromatic moiety. It will be understood by those skilled in the artthat the moieties substituted on the hydrocarbon chain may themselves besubstituted, if appropriate. For instance, the substituents of asubstituted alkyl may include substituted and unsubstituted forms ofamino, azido, imino, amido, phosphoryl (including phosphonate andphosphinate), sulfonyl (including sulfate, sulfonamido, sulfamoyl andsulfonate), and silyl groups, as well as ethers, alkylthios, carbonyls(including ketones, aldehydes, carboxylates, and esters), —CN, and thelike.

The term “aromatic” can include 5-, 6-, and 7-membered single-ringaromatic groups that may include from zero to four heteroatoms, forexample, benzene, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, imidazole, oxazole,thiazole, triazole, pyrazole, pyridine, pyrazine, pyridazine andpyrimidine, and the like. Those aryl groups having heteroatoms in thering structure may also be referred to as “aryl heterocycles” or“heteroaromatics.”

The aromatic ring may be substituted at one or more ring positions withsuch substituents as described above, for example, halogen, azide,alkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxyl, amino,nitro, sulfhydryl, imino, amido, phosphonate, phosphinate, carbonyl,carboxyl, silyl, ether, alkylthio, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, ketone,aldehyde, ester, heterocyclic, aromatic or heteroaromatic moieties,—CF₃, —CN, or the like.

The surface modification may be carried out in a reactive solvent. Asused herein, the term “reactive solvent” refers to low-viscositymonomers or oligomers capable of reacting with ethylenically unsaturatedgroups of inorganic particles after surface modification. In thetraditional wet modification procedure, additional ingredients aresubsequently added to the reaction system of surface modification toobtain the desired fire-resistant material in-situ. However, thepresence of solvents and acidic or alkaline catalysts in the reactionsystem causes difficulty in curing of the fire-resistance material andresults in poor control on the appearance and physical properties of thefire-resistance material. The use of reactive solvent obviates thenecessity of removing majority of solvent from the reaction systembefore curing. To avoid interference of the reactive solvent to themodification reaction, it is preferable to use reactive monomers oroligomers without functional groups of —SH, —OH, —COOH, —NH₂, and —NHR,where R represents alkyl or aryl groups. Otherwise, these functionalgroups may react with the isocyanate groups of the modifier, adverselyaffecting the modification reaction. Suitable reactive solvents include,but are not limited to, styrenes, methyl acrylates, methylmethacrylates, benzyl acrylates, benzyl methacrylates, or combinationsthereof.

It is also feasible to carry out the surface modification in anon-reactive solvent. Again, it is preferable to use non-reactivesolvents without functional groups of —SH, —OH, —COOH, —NH₂, and —NHR(where R represents alkyl or aryl groups) to avoid side reaction withisocyanate. Suitable non-reactive solvents include, but are not limitedto, ketones, ethers, esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatichydrocarbons, cycloalkanes, or combinations thereof. Illustrativeexamples of ketone solvents include, but are not limited to,cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl t-butyl ketone.Illustrative examples of ether solvents include, but are not limited to,ethyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol ether,ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and ethyleneglycol monobutyl ether. Illustrative examples of ester solvents include,but are not limited to, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, 2-ethoxyethanol acetate, ethyl-3-ethoxypropionate, and isoamyl acetate.Illustrative examples of aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents include, but arenot limited to, n-hexane, heptane, and pentane. Illustrative examples ofaromatic hydrocarbon solvents include, but are not limited to, benzene,toluene, and xylene. Illustrative examples of cycloalkane solventsinclude, but are not limited to, cyclohexane, and methyl cyclohexane.The non-reactive solvents are preferably dried to reduce the watercontent as low as possible before use in the modification reaction.

Any catalysts for accelerating the reaction of isocyanate groups withhydroxyl groups may be employed in the surface modification. Examples ofsuch catalysts include dibutyltin dilaurate (T-12) and stannous octoate(T-9). The reaction of surface modification is typically carried out ata temperature of about 20-80° C., preferably about 40-70° C., morepreferably about 45-65° C.

The modified inorganic particles with ethylenically unsaturated groupscan undergo a crosslinking reaction with a monomer, an oligomer, or aprepolymer with ethylenically unsaturated groups, such that the modifiedinorganic particles are uniformly dispersed in an organic resin matrix,providing a three-dimensional organic/inorganic structure. The monomer,oligomer, or prepolymer may further comprise hydroxyl, anhydride,carboxyl, or epoxy groups. That is, the organic component can be anymonomer, oligomer, prepolymer, mono-polymer, copolymer, or combinationsthereof capable of reacting with the modified inorganic particle.Preferably, the organic component is an organic system for proceedingwith a free radical polymerization such as acrylate-based systems,polyolefin-based systems, unsaturated polyester-based systems, vinylester-based systems, or polystyrene-based systems. It should be noted,however, the formulation may further include organic systems that arenon-reactive to the modified inorganic particle, such as, but notlimited to, phenol aldehyde resins, epoxy resins, melamine, and thelike.

When surface modification is carried out in a reactive solvent, anorganic/inorganic composite can be prepared in-situ by addition of freeradical initiators to undergo polymerization of the reactive solvent. Ifnecessary, one or more kinds of additional reactive monomer, oligomer,prepolymer, or polymer may be added to the reaction system to providevarious types of fire resistant composites. When the surfacemodification is carried out in a non-reactive solvent, it is necessaryto isolate the modified inorganic particles from the reaction system orremove the majority of the non-reactive solvents before crosslinkingwith reactive monomer, oligomer, prepolymer, or polymer.

A curing agent may be added during the crosslinking reaction (curing).Examples of curing agents include, but are not limited to, peroxidessuch as benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) asfree radical initiators. Further examples of curing agents include, butare not limited to, compounds with —NH, —NH₂, or anhydride groups (e.g.,dicyandiamide, diethylene triamine, phthalic anhydride, and nadic methylanhydride). The amount of the curing agent is typically about 0.5-2parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the organic component.The curing may be carried out at about 20-180° C. for about 0.5-24hours, depending on the organic component used.

The fire resistant materials of the present disclosure may be fabricatedinto various forms such as, but not limited to, sheets, plates, or bulkmaterials by conventional coating or molding techniques. Suitablecoating methods include, but are not limited to, brush coating, rollercoating, blade coating, spray coating, and the like. Suitable moldingmethods include, but are not limited to, compression molding, injectionmolding, extrusion molding, calendar molding, and the like. Furthermore,those skilled in the art will appreciate that other conventionaladditives can be present in the fire resistant material depending uponthe processing needs or end use. Such additives include, but are notlimited to, inorganic fillers other than the modified inorganicparticle, dispersants, and mold release agents. For example, glass fiberchopped strands or glass sands may be added to enhance mechanical andfire resistant properties, and prevent thermal cracking. Moreover, thefire resistant materials of the present disclosure may be coated on aglass fiber cloth or a glass fiber mat and then press-molded into thedesired fire resistant objects of various shapes.

In addition, although the cured organic/inorganic composite can be usedas a fire resistant material directly, it can be pulverized intoparticles for use as a flame retardant. The pulverized particles aremodified inorganic particles encapsulated by a polymer surface coating.For example, the pulverized particles can be kneaded with athermoplastic polymer, plasticizer, and additional inorganic fillers athigh temperatures, and then extruded into a fire resistant thermoplasticcomposite.

The organic/inorganic composites of the present disclosure do not melt,ignite, or produce flame dripping under exposure to flame or ignitionsources due to the chemical bonding between the modified inorganicparticles and the organic component (compared to the conventionalphysical bending products). Moreover, the heated area can be carbonizedrapidly to form a well-structured char layer which maintains superiorstructural integrity without peeling or cracking, effectively preventingdirect heat transfer to the interior. Experimental study shows that thecomposites of the present disclosure exhibit improved film-formingproperties, toughness, and flame retardancy compared to the counterpartwith non-modified inorganic particles.

Without intending to limit it in any manner, the embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be further illustrated by the followingexamples.

Example 1

10 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 50 g ofstyrene, and 0.4 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 180 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 20 g of alumina hydroxidedispersion was taken out from the reaction mixture, and added 60 mlstyrene, sonicated, centrifuged, and filtered. This procedure wasrepeated three times. The alumina hydroxide particles obtained was driedin an oven at 60° C. for 2 hours. The infrared spectrum showscharacteristic absorption bands of acrylate and —O—C═O at 1500-1750 cm⁻¹and aliphatic hydrogen stretching at 2850-2950 cm⁻¹, indicating that themodifier was grafted onto the alumina hydroxide particles.

Example 2

10 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 50 g ofstyrene, and 0.4 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 180 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder and1.0 g of benzoyl peroxide were added to the reactor and mechanicallystirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture was blended in a three-rollmill and charged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold for press molding at 100° C. for60 minutes. The molded specimen was removed from the mold and cured inan oven at 120° C. for 60 minutes. The cured specimen had a smoothsurface with good film-forming properties and met UL94V-0 flameretardancy standards.

Example 3

10 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 50 g ofstyrene, and 0.3 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 180 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 20 g of polystyrene powder, 45g of unsaturated polyester (Swancor 926 from Swancor Ind. Co., Ltd.),3.0 g of zinc stearate, and 1.5 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate wereadded to the reactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then themixture was blended in a three-roll mill and charged in a 0.3 mm-thickmold for press molding at 135° C. for 25 minutes. The molded specimenwas removed from the mold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60minutes. The cured specimen had a smooth surface with good film-formingproperties and met UL94V-0 flame retardancy standards.

Example 4

20 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 80 g ofstyrene, and 0.25 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 300 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 45g of unsaturated polyester (Swancor 926 from Swancor Ind. Co., Ltd.),3.4 g of zinc stearate, 4.5 g of BYK110 dispersant, 0.6 g of benzoylperoxide, and 1.2 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added to thereactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture wasblended with 66 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from TaiwanGlass Corp.) and charged in a 0.6 mm-thick mold for press molding at 80°C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold and curedin an oven at 120° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into a 60mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test was conducted on thesurface of the specimen with flame temperature of 1100° C., where thebackside surface of the specimen was connected to thermocouple of atemperature detector to monitor temperature rise. The backsidetemperature of the specimen increased to 357° C. after one hour.

Example 5

15 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 75 g ofstyrene, and 0.45 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 270 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 30g of maleic anhydride, 6.3 g of zinc stearate, 2.7 g of BYK110dispersant, and 1.9 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added to thereactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture wasblended with 98 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from TaiwanGlass Corp.) and charged in a 0.6 mm-thick mold for press molding at140° C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold andcured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cutinto a 60 mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test wasconducted on the surface of the specimen with flame temperature of 1100°C., where the backside surface of the specimen was connected tothermocouple of a temperature detector to monitor temperature rise. Thebackside temperature of the specimen increased to 341° C. after onehour.

Example 6

10 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 50 g ofstyrene, and 0.3 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 180 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 10g of maleic anhydride, 10 g of melamine, 4 g of zinc stearate, 2 g ofBYK110 dispersant, and 0.9 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added tothe reactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixturewas blended with 65 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, fromTaiwan Glass Corp.) and charged in a 0.6 mm-thick mold for press moldingat 140° C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample was removed from the moldand cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cutinto a 60 mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test wasconducted on the surface of the specimen with flame temperature of 1100°C., where the backside surface of the specimen was connected tothermocouple of a temperature detector to monitor temperature rise. Thebackside temperature of the specimen increased to 261.1° C. after onehour.

Example 7

20 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 100 g ofstyrene, and 0.8 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 360 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 5g of zinc stearate, 2.6 g of BYK110 dispersant, and 2.0 g of benzoylperoxide were added to the reactor and mechanically stirred for 30minutes. Then the mixture was blended with 160 g of glass fiber choppedstrand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) and a portion of theresulting blend was applied to a 0.6 mm-thick mold to form a coating ofabout 0.2-0.25 mm thickness. A glass fiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness(from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed on the coating, and then anotherportion of the blend was applied to the glass fiber cloth to fill themold. Thereafter, press molding was carried out at 100° C. for 60minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold and cured in anoven at 120° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into a 60 mm×60mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test was conducted on thesurface of the specimen with flame temperature of 1100° C., where thebackside surface of the specimen was connected to thermocouple of atemperature detector to monitor temperature rise. The backsidetemperature of the specimen increased to 254° C. after one hour.

Example 8

20 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 80 g ofstyrene, and 0.25 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 300 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 30g of unsaturated polyester (Swancor 926 from Swancor Ind. Co., Ltd.),3.4 g of zinc stearate, 4.5 g of BYK110 dispersant, 0.6 g of benzoylperoxide, and 1.2 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added to thereactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture wasblended with 66 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from TaiwanGlass Corp.) and a portion of the resulting blend was applied to a 0.6mm-thick mold to form a coating of about 0.2-0.3 mm thickness. A glassfiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness (from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed onthe coating, and then another portion of the blend was applied to theglass fiber cloth to fill the mold. Thereafter, press molding wascarried out at 80° C. for 30 minutes, and then 120° C. for 30 minutes.The molded sample was removed from the mold and cured in an oven at 120°C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into a 60 mm×60 mm specimenof 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test was conducted on the surface of thespecimen with flame temperature of 1100° C., where the backside surfaceof the specimen was connected to thermocouple of a temperature detectorto monitor temperature rise. The backside temperature of the specimenincreased to 248° C. after one hour.

Example 9

15 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 75 g ofstyrene, and 0.45 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 270 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 20 g of polystyrene powder, 20g of maleic anhydride, 6.3 g of zinc stearate, 2.7 g of BYK110dispersant, and 1.6 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added to thereactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture wasblended with 126 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from TaiwanGlass Corp.) and a portion of the resulting blend was applied to a 0.6mm-thick mold to form a coating of about 0.2-0.25 mm thickness. A glassfiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness (from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed onthe coating, and then another portion of the blend was applied to theglass fiber cloth to fill the mold. Thereafter, press molding wascarried out at 140° C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample was removedfrom the mold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The curedsample was cut into a 60 mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flametest was conducted on the surface of the specimen with flame temperatureof 1100° C., where the backside surface of the specimen was connected tothermocouple of a temperature detector to monitor temperature rise. Thebackside temperature of the specimen increased to 257° C. after onehour.

Example 10

20 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 80 g ofstyrene, and 0.4 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 270 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 30g of vinyl ester resin (vinyl ester 977 from Swancor Ind. Co., Ltd.),6.75 g of zinc stearate, 4.5 g of BYK110 dispersant, 0.6 g of benzoylperoxide and 1.2 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added to thereactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture wasblended with 168 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from TaiwanGlass Corp.) and a portion of the resulting blend was applied to a 0.6mm-thick mold to form a coating of about 0.2-0.25 mm thickness. A glassfiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness (from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed onthe coating, and then another portion of the blend was applied to theglass fiber cloth to fill the mold. Thereafter, press molding wascarried out at 80° C. for 30 minutes, and then 120° C. for 30 minutes.The molded sample was removed from the mold and cured in an oven at 120°C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into a 60 mm×60 mm specimenof 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test was conducted on the surface of thespecimen with flame temperature of 1100° C., where the backside surfaceof the specimen was connected to thermocouple of a temperature detectorto monitor temperature rise. The backside temperature of the specimenincreased to 276° C. after one hour.

Example 11

10 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 50 g ofstyrene, and 0.3 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 180 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g of polystyrene powder, 10g of maleic anhydride, 4 g of zinc stearate, 2 g of BYK110 dispersant,and 0.9 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were added to the reactor andmechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture was blended with65 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.)and a portion of the resulting blend was applied to a 0.6 mm-thick moldto form a coating of about 0.2-0.25 mm thickness. A glass fiber cloth of0.15 mm thickness (from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed on the coating,and then another portion of the blend was applied to the glass fibercloth to fill the mold. Thereafter, press molding was carried out at140° C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold andcured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cutinto a 60 mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test wasconducted on the surface of the specimen with flame temperature of 1100°C., where the backside surface of the specimen was connected tothermocouple of a temperature detector to monitor temperature rise. Thebackside temperature of the specimen increased to 253.1° C. after onehour.

Example 12

15 g of commercial isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer, 75 g ofstyrene, and 0.45 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 270 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 20 g of polystyrene powder, 25g of epoxy resin (Epoxy 128 from Nan Ya Plastics Corp.), 6.3 g of zincstearate, 2.7 g of BYK110 dispersant, 1.1 g of tert-butylperoxybenzoate, 1.4 g of dicyandiamide, and 0.8 g of dichloro phenyldimethyl urea (DCMU) were added to the reactor and mechanically stirredfor 30 minutes. Then the mixture was blended with 146 g of glass fiberchopped strand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) and a portion of theresulting blend was applied to a 0.6 mm-thick mold to form a coating ofabout 0.2-0.25 mm thickness. A glass fiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness(from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed on the coating, and then anotherportion of the blend was applied to the glass fiber cloth to fill themold. Thereafter, press molding was carried out at 150° C. for 30minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold and cured in anoven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into a 60 mm×60mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flame test was conducted on thesurface of the specimen with flame temperature of 1100° C., where thebackside surface of the specimen was connected to thermocouple of atemperature detector to monitor temperature rise. The backsidetemperature of the specimen increased to 255° C. after 15 minutes, andincreased to 271.8° C. after 25 minutes.

Comparative Example 1

75 g of styrene and 2.7 g of BYK110 dispersant were thoroughly mixed ina 500 ml plastic jar. 270 g of alumina trihydrate (from Beaming Company,average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2 hours) wasslowly added into the reactor. Following this, 20 g of polystyrenepowder, 25 g of epoxy resin (Epoxy 128 from Nan Ya Plastics Corp.), 6.3g of zinc stearate, 1.1 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, 1.4 g ofdicyandiamide, and 0.8 g of dichloro phenyl dimethyl urea (DCMU) wereadded to the reactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then themixture was blended with 146 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches,from Taiwan Glass Corp.) and a portion of the resulting blend wasapplied to a 0.6 mm-thick mold to form a coating of about 0.2-0.25 mmthickness. A glass fiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness (from Taiwan GlassCorp.) was placed on the coating, and then another portion of the blendwas applied to the glass fiber cloth to fill the mold. Thereafter, pressmolding was carried out at 150° C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample wasremoved from the mold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes.The cured sample was cut into a 60 mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mmthickness. A flame test was conducted on the surface of the specimenwith flame temperature of 1100° C., where the backside surface of thespecimen was connected to thermocouple of a temperature detector tomonitor temperature rise. The backside temperature of the specimenincreased to 374.2° C. after 15 minutes, and increased to 322.8° C.after 25 minutes.

The flame test results of Comparative Example 1 and Example 12 arecompared in FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, the temperature increasecurve is smoother for Example 12, indicating improved flame retardancyover Comparative Example 1, in which the inorganic particle was notmodified.

Comparative Example 2

75 g of styrene, 15 g of methacryloxy propyltrimethoxysilane (from ShinEtsu Chemical Corp.) and 2.7 g of BYK110 dispersant were thoroughlymixed in a 500 ml reactor. 270 g of alumina trihydrate (from BeamingCompany, average diameter: 8 μm, previously dried at 130° C. for 2hours) was slowly added into the reactor and stirred at 50-55° C. for 3hours. After cooling to room temperature, 20 g of polystyrene powder, 25g of epoxy resin (Epoxy 128 from Nan Ya Plastics Corp.), 6.3 g of zincstearate, 1.1 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, 1.4 g of dicyandiamide,and 0.8 g of dichloro phenyl dimethyl urea (DCMU) were added to thereactor and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. Then the mixture wasblended with 146 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from TaiwanGlass Corp.) and a portion of the resulting blend was applied to a 0.6mm-thick mold to form a coating of about 0.2-0.25 mm thickness. A glassfiber cloth of 0.15 mm thickness (from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was placed onthe coating, and then another portion of the blend was applied to theglass fiber cloth to fill the mold. Thereafter, press molding wascarried out at 150° C. for 30 minutes. The molded sample was removedfrom the mold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The curedsample was cut into a 60 mm×60 mm specimen of 0.6 mm thickness. A flametest was conducted on the surface of the specimen with flame temperatureof 1100° C., where the backside surface of the specimen was connected tothermocouple of a temperature detector to monitor temperature rise. Thebackside temperature of the specimen increased to 366.3° C. after 15minutes, and increased to 350.7° C. after 25 minutes.

The flame test results of Comparative Example 2 and Example 12 are alsocompared in FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, the temperature increasecurve is smoother for Example 12, indicating improved flame retardancyover Comparative Example 2, in which the inorganic particle was modifiedby an acrylate-containing, silane coupling agent.

Preparative Example 1

160.0 g of polypropylene glycol (PPG-1000, Mw=1000) and 9.4 g of1,6-hexanediol were charged in a glass container, and vacuum dried at105° C. for at least four hours to reduce the water content to below 400ppm.

100.8 g of 1.6 hexamethylene diisocyanate was charged in a four-neckreactor under nitrogen atmosphere and preheated to 120° C. The driedpolypropylene glycol and 1,6-hexanediol were slowly added into thereactor. After the addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at120-130° C. for 5 hours and then the remaining content of freeisocyanate (—NCO) was monitored. When the remaining content ofisocyanate was decreased to about 11.5%, the first reaction stage wasstopped by cooling.

After cooling to 50° C., the second reaction stage began by adding 1.5 gof dibutyltin dilaurate to the above mixture. 20.8 g of 2-hydroxypropylacrylate (2-HPA) was slowly added at 50° C., and after the addition, theresulting mixture was stirred at 50° C. for 3 hours and the remainingcontent of isocyanate was monitored. The second reaction stage wasstopped when the remaining content of isocyanate was decreased to about8.5%, thus providing a high-viscosity, isocyanate-bearing acrylateoligomer, which was solid at room temperature, and the remaining contentof isocyanate thereof was measured to be 6.5%.

Preparative Example 2

200.0 g of polypropylene glycol (PPG-1000, Mw=1000) and 4.1 g of1,6-hexanediol were charged in a glass container, and vacuum dried at105° C. for at least four hours to reduce the water content to below 400ppm.

126.0 g of 1.6 hexamethylene diisocyanate was charged in a four-neckreactor under nitrogen atmosphere and preheated to 120° C. The driedpolypropylene glycol and 1,6-hexanediol were slowly added into thereactor within 60 minutes. After the addition, the reaction mixture wasstirred at 120-130° C. for 6 hours and then the remaining content offree isocyanate (—NCO) was monitored. When the remaining content ofisocyanate was decreased to about 13.1%, the first reaction stage wasstopped by cooling.

After cooling to 50° C., the second reaction stage began by adding 1.8 gof dibutyltin dilaurate to the above mixture. At 50° C., 26.0 g of2-hydroxypropyl acrylate (2-HPA) was added stepwise within 30 minutes.After the addition, the resulting mixture was stirred at 50° C. for 5hours and the remaining content of isocyanate was monitored. The secondreaction stage was stopped when the remaining content of isocyanate wasdecreased to about 9.7%, thus providing an isocyanate-bearing acrylateoligomer, which was low-viscosity liquid (1425 cps at 25° C.), and theremaining content of isocyanate thereof was measured to be 8.3%.

Preparative Example 3

200.0 g of polypropylene glycol (PPG-1000, Mw=1000) and 4.1 g of1,6-hexanediol were charged in a glass container, and vacuum dried at105° C. for at least four hours to reduce the water content to below 400ppm.

132.2 g of 2,4/2.6 toluene diisocyanate (TDI) was charged in a four-neckreactor under nitrogen atmosphere and preheated to 70° C. The driedpolypropylene glycol and 1,6-hexanediol were slowly added into thereactor within 60 minutes. After the addition, the reaction mixture wasstirred at 70-75° C. for 3 hours and then the remaining content of freeisocyanate (—NCO) was monitored. When the remaining content ofisocyanate was decreased to about 13.1%, the first reaction stage wasstopped by cooling.

After cooling to 40° C., the second reaction stage began by adding 0.3 gof dibutyltin dilaurate to the above mixture. At 40° C., 26.0 g of2-hydroxypropyl acrylate (2-HPA) was added stepwise within 30 minutes.After the addition, the resulting mixture was stirred at 50° C. for 5hours and the remaining content of isocyanate was monitored. The secondreaction stage was stopped when the remaining content of isocyanate wasdecreased to about 9.8%, thus providing an isocyanate-bearing acrylateoligomer, which was colorless liquid (viscosity: 15,000 cps at 25° C.),and the remaining content of isocyanate thereof was measured to be 9.1%.

Comparative Example 3

40 g of styrene was placed in a 200 ml plastic jar, and 75 g ofnon-modified alumina trihydrate (from Beaming Company, average diameter:8 μm) was slowly added into the plastic jar and thoroughly mixed.Thereafter, 10 g of polystyrene powder and 0.75 g of benzoyl peroxidewere added, and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. 41.7 g of glassfiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was blendedinto the mixture and charged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold for press molding at120° C. for 60 minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold andcured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cutinto five 12.7 mm×127 mm specimens. The UL94 flammability test wascarried out on the specimens. The specimens exhibited dripping behavior,failing to meet UL94 flame retardancy standards.

Example 13

40 g of styrene was placed in a 200 ml plastic jar, and 75 g of aluminatrihydrate modified by the isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer ofPreparative Example 1 was slowly added into the plastic jar andthoroughly mixed. Thereafter, 10 g of polystyrene powder and 0.75 g ofbenzoyl peroxide were added, and mechanically stirred for 30 minutes.41.7 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.)was blended into the mixture and charged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold forpress molding at 120° C. for 60 minutes. The molded sample was removedfrom the mold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The curedsample was cut into five 12.7 mm×127 mm specimens. The UL94 flammabilitytest was carried out on the specimens, which met UL94-V0 flameretardancy standards.

Example 14

3 g of the isocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer of Preparative Example1, 40 g of styrene, and 0.15 g of dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst werethoroughly mixed in a 500 ml reactor, followed by slow addition of 75 gof alumina trihydrate (from Beaming Company, average diameter: 8 μm,previously dried at 130° C. for 2 hours). The mixture was stirred at50-55° C. for 3 hours. After cooling to room temperature, 10 g ofpolystyrene powder and 0.75 g of tert-butyl peroxybenzoate were addedand mechanically stirred for 30 minutes. 42.7 g of glass fiber choppedstrand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was blended into the mixtureand charged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold for press molding at 120° C. for 60minutes. The molded sample was removed from the mold and cured in anoven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into five 12.7mm×127 mm specimens. The UL94 flammability test was carried out on thespecimens, which met UL94-V0 flame retardancy standards.

Comparative Example 4

50 g of vinyl ester resin and 0.3 g of cobalt salt were mixed in a 200ml plastic jar, and 65 g of non-modified alumina trihydrate was slowlyadded into the plastic jar. After stirring for 30 minutes, 0.75 g ofmethyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) was added. Then 38.3 g of glassfiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was blendedinto the mixture and charged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold, which was kept atroom temperature for 6 hours. The molded sample was removed from themold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured samplewas cut into five 12.7 mm×127 mm specimens. The UL94 flammability testwas carried out on the specimens, which failed to meet UL94 flameretardancy standards.

Example 15

50 g of vinyl ester resin and 0.3 g of cobalt salt were mixed in a 200ml plastic jar, and 65 g of alumina trihydrate was slowly added into theplastic jar. After stirring for 30 minutes, 2 g of theisocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer of Preparative Example 2 was addedand thoroughly mixed, followed by addition of 0.75 g of methyl ethylketone peroxide (MEKPO). Then 39.3 g of glass fiber chopped strand (⅛inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was blended into the mixture andcharged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold, which was kept at room temperature for 6hours. The molded sample was removed from the mold and cured in an ovenat 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured sample was cut into five 12.7mm×127 mm specimens. The UL94 flammability test was carried out on thespecimens, which met UL94-V0 flame retardancy standards.

Example 16

50 g of vinyl ester resin and 0.3 g of cobalt salt were mixed in a 200ml plastic jar, and 65 g of alumina trihydrate modified by theisocyanate-bearing acrylate oligomer of Preparative Example 2 was slowlyadded into the plastic jar. After stirring for 30 minutes, 0.75 g ofmethyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) was added. Then 38.3 g of glassfiber chopped strand (⅛ inches, from Taiwan Glass Corp.) was blendedinto the mixture and charged in a 0.3 mm-thick mold, which was kept atroom temperature for 6 hours. The molded sample was removed from themold and cured in an oven at 130° C. for 60 minutes. The cured samplewas cut into five 12.7 mm×127 mm specimens. The UL94 flammability testwas carried out on the specimens, which met UL94-V0 flame retardancystandards.

It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and othernumerical data may be expressed herein in a range format. It is to beunderstood that such a range format is used for convenience and brevity,and thus, should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not onlythe numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, butalso to include all the individual numerical values or sub-rangesencompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-rangeis explicitly recited. To illustrate, a concentration range of “about0.1% to about 5%” should be interpreted to include not only theexplicitly recited concentration of about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %, butalso include individual concentrations (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) andthe sub-ranges (e.g., 0.5%, 1.1%, 2.2%, 3.3%, and 4.4%) within theindicated range. The term “about” can include ±1%, ±2%, ±3%, ±4%, ±5%,±6%, ±7%, ±8%, ±9%, or ±10%, or more of the numerical value(s) beingmodified. In addition, the phrase “about ‘x’ to ‘y’” includes “about ‘x’to about ‘y’”.

While embodiments of the present disclosure have been described by wayof examples and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understoodthat embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. Tothe contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similararrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art).Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded thebroadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications andsimilar arrangements.

1. A fire resistant material, comprising: an organic/inorganic compositeprepared by curing a formulation a liquid suspension comprising; amodified inorganic particle, comprising an inorganic particle withhydroxyl groups, and a surface modifier coupled to the inorganicparticle via a urethane linkage, wherein the surface modifier has anethylenically unsaturated end group; and an organic component capable ofreacting with the ethylenically unsaturated end group, wherein theorganic compound is selected from a monomer, an oligomer, a prepolymer,a polymer, or combinations thereof; a modified inorganic particle,comprising an inorganic particle with hydroxyl groups, and a surfacemodifier coupled to the inorganic particle via a urethane linkage,wherein the surface modifier has an ethylenically unsaturated end group;and an organic component capable of reacting with the ethylenicallyunsaturated end group, wherein the organic component is a monomer, anoligomer, a prepolymer, a polymer, or combinations thereof.
 2. The fireresistant material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inorganic particleis selected from a metal hydroxide or an oxide.
 3. The fire resistantmaterial as claimed in claim 2, wherein the metal hydroxide is selectedfrom Al(OH)₃ or Mg(OH)₂.
 4. The fire resistant material as claimed inclaim 3, wherein the oxide is selected from SiO₂, TiO₂, or ZnO.
 5. Thefire resistant material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surfacemodifier is selected from a monomer, an oligomer, or a prepolymer, thatcontains an isocyanate group at one end and an ethylenically unsaturatedgroup at the other end.
 6. The fire resistant material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the organic component at least contains anethylenically unsaturated group.
 7. The fire resistant material asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the organic component includes a groupselected from a hydroxyl, an anhydride, a carboxyl, or an epoxy group.8. The fire resistant material as claimed in claim 1, further comprisingone or more of an inorganic filler other than the modified inorganicparticle, a dispersant, a mold release agent, a curing agent, orcombinations thereof.
 9. The fire resistant material as claimed in claim1, wherein the curing agent comprises a free radical initiator.
 10. Thefire resistant material as claimed in claim 1, further comprising acomponent selected from a glass fiber cloth or a glass fiber mat. 11.The fire resistant material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fireresistant material is formed into a structure selected from a sheet, aplate, or a bulk material.
 12. The fire resistant material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the fire resistant material meets UL94V-0 standard.